Jewels - The Creative Adventurer

The Ultimate Souvenir Shopping Guide in Mexico City

The Creative Adventurer — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:05:04 +0000

Shopping in Mexico City was one of my favourite activities when I visited this city! I found so many incredible things; textiles, interior decor items, sugar skulls, vintage clothing and more! I loved bartering in the markets and scouring the antique stores for lost treasures. Souvenir shopping in Mexico City is so affordable that you’ll want to get something for everyone so I’ve compiled a list of my ‘must-buy’ items and places to shop for your friends and family, and most of all – for yourself!

Table Of Contents

Mercado De Artesanias La Ciudadela
Peletería Continental
Velas Cerería de Jesús
Xinú Perfumeria
Dulcería de Celaya
La Casa Del Coleccionista
Mexican Coffee Beans
Mole Paste
Happening Store
Cafebrería El Péndulo

Mercado De Artesanias La Ciudadela

The Mercado De Artesanias La Ciudadela, located near the historic city centre, was my favourite market to shop for Mexican crafts and souvenirs. I’ve never felt so overwhelmed by colourful trinkets and found it almost impossible not to buy absolutely everything I saw here. The market is pretty big, so big in fact that we had to come back twice and even then, felt like there was so much we didn’t see. Unlike other Mexican markets I’ve been to in places like Nogales and Punta Cana, I didn’t feel like there was anyone chasing me down the hall for a sale or even hassling people to come in a visit their story.

Address: Emilio Donde S/n, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Centro, CDMX, Mexico

It was oddly calm and civilized, and that’s something I didn’t expect. People were willing to haggle, but I think there is definitely a tourist markup price you’ll get here. That being said, the prices are so cheap it almost feels bad to ask them to lower it any more than it already is priced. Sometimes, we paid exactly what they asked because it seemed fair. In other cases, we would attempt to haggle for a lower price, especially if we were buying multiples. I want to post just about this market and my favourite shops. But if I had to make a shortlist and pick a few highlights, it would be the tin sacred hearts, the brightly coloured pom-poms and tassels and the richly embroidered tablecloths.

Peletería Continental

Peletería Continental is one of those places which I feel almost hesitant to talk about since I truly think it’s my the best place I found in my time in Mexico City. There is something about keeping it to myself that felt like I held a precious secret, but it’s truly too cool to keep to myself. On paper, if you look up Peletería Continental you’ll find that it’s a just leather wholesaler. So why would a tourist want to go there? Well, it’s not just leather they sell, and it’s not just wholesale. In large display cases on the outside of the store are beautiful pieces of embroidery and jeweled patched. There are dozens of other fabric embellishments like bows, rhinestones and more! These are meant to sold for wholesale, perhaps for clothing manufacturers and fashion designers but if you want to just buy one, that’s totally ok!

Experience Inside

I was lucky enough to have someone in the store who explained the process in English to me, but in case you don’t find an English speaker here is what you do. Write down the letter and number code of the item you’re interested in. There is a huge tv sized iPad near the doors where you can input the item # and it will tell you the price in pesos per item.

Then once you have the list of items you want and the number of each, just take that list to the counter and someone will go to find your pieces. They’ll give you a total for all your items (which I think if you were buying in bulk you could probably haggle down) and you can then excitedly watch as the items are sent down in an antique style elevator from the stock room above. There were people buying thousands of items all around me and it was so exciting to be a part of. This shop has been open for years and remnants of the old world trading still remain. It’s like shopping with a side of history.

Address: José María Pino Suárez 28, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06060 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Velas Cerería de Jesús

Just down the street from Peletería Continental is Velas Cerería de Jesús. This seemingly small and unassuming candle shop is amazing. As soon as you walk in the doors you’ll see tall candles hanging from the ceiling. Each one fantastically decorated with flower petals and blooms made from wax. There are some which are almost 2 feet tall and are a rainbow of colours. Some look more like flower arrangements than candles. I purchased a few of the smaller versions which ranged from $2-$5! They packaged these up in boxes for me and I didn’t have any issues travelling home with them. I also purchased some of their tall stick candles since I’ve never seen so many different colours at such a good price! 35cm candles were only 20 pesos, which is about $1 USD.

Address: Calle de Venustiano Carranza 122-C, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06010 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Xinú Perfumeria

Xinú Perfumeria is located in the high-end district of Polanco. When we first visited we thought it was closed but turns out you just need to ring the doorbell to unlock the front door. This store is mind-blowing and visiting is an experience all to itself. When we first entered the entry room, there were framed pieces of tobacco on every wall. The smell of this gently roasted tobaccos filled the room and beckoned you in further.

From there you enter another room, so dark you can barely see. Xinú means ‘nose’ in Otomi. Otomi is a beautiful tonal language still present in various regions of Mexico. In so many ways your nose is what guides you to your destination here. On one wall sits a set of beautifully designed olfactory devices. You then climb a never-ending set of stairs until you reach the top where you find the store itself. Inside the main room is a naturalist’s table. A naturalist’s table is used to observes, gather and collect elements from their natural surroundings. Here it is being used to display all the pieces of flora, natural to Mexico City, which are used in developing these unique scents.

Xinú’s Philosophy

Xinú’s philosophy is that it appeals to our individual olfactory memory. Their perfumes were all unlike anything I had smelled before and so rich, even a small whiff transcended me into another realm. Xinú is also very passionate about saving the environment from which so many of these natural elements grow, and without whom, these perfumes could not be produced. Their innovative bottle designs can be re-purposed into vases or incense holders once the perfume has run out. My favourite scent was the UMMO. It was their newest scent containing absolute tobacco, jasmine tobacco flower, liquid amber resin and cedar essence. It was incredible but unfortunately, it was the one scent they had sold out of! I was pretty heartbroken but gives me another reason to return to Mexico City as they aren’t available online just yet!

Address: Alejandro Dumas 161, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Dulcería de Celaya

Dulcería de Celaya, located in the heart of the historic district, is a tiny, old shop which has been selling traditional Mexican candies and sweets since 1874. Walking into the shop it feels like nothing has changed in over 100 years. When the family-run shop first started selling candy it was all made in a small, improvised factory using wooden shovels, copper saucepans and a minature oven. They could only produce so much per day, often only one tray of candy. But the candy was so popular that they would sell out day after day and as the demand rose, they managed to expand their production.

Even today they produce candy in much the same way as it was made in that tiny kitchen. You walk in the door and the smell of fresh pineapples, strawberries, guavas and coconut fill the air. The candy is very well priced so even if you don’t’ recognize anything just let the smells guide you can just try whatever your eye is drawn to.

Address: Av. 5 de Mayo 39, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

La Casa Del Coleccionista

La Casa Del Coleccionista in Coyoacan is a tiny antique store located right near Centenario Garden. This store houses precious treasures from years past and if you’re looking for something for your home to bring back with you this is the place to go. There were so many old paintings, candlesticks and wall hangings which were incredibly charming and held within the memories of the past. While it’s nice to buy something new, an antique is a wonderful way of experiencing the Mexico City of year’s past and something you can’t just buy in any store. Each antique collection is unique to that one location and pilfering through their collections offers up singular treasures.

Address: Av Francisco Sosa 1, Santa Catarina, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Mexican Coffee Beans

Mexico is one of the world’s best producers of coffee beans and while the coffee beans might not be grown in Mexico City, Mexico City is one of their best roasters. Coffee culture is a huge part of this city! In areas like La Condesa and Roma there are chic coffee shops on every corner. Coffee is a very personal choice to many people, some like a darker roast, other like ones with more subtle flavours.

Instead of just going to the grocery store to buy some beans, I would explore the local cafes, almost every coffee shop offers bulk purchases of their own unique roast of beans. I would recommend exploring all the coffee shops in your area and when you find your favourite, ask to purchase a few pounds to return home with you. When you get home you’ll be able to brew a little bit of Mexico City in your home. We loved ‘Cardinal’ in La Condesa who serves up Cosautlan de Carvajal from Veracruz, which has notes of orange and chocolate. Absolutely delicious!

Address: Córdoba 132, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Mole Paste

Mole is a traditional sauce used in Mexican cuisine made from fruit, chili pepper, nut, and such spices as black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and chocolate. It’s a very unique flavour and although it might not be for everyone, if you love it, you LOVE it! You’ll see (and hopefully you’ll also taste) this sauce on street corners and fancy restaurants all over the city! While the mixture might seem like an overwhelming recipe you can actually buy the dried paste in various markets across the city. The best stuff is made from scratch but if you’re not an aficionado or have access to all those local ingredients at home, this will do just fine. The Coyoacan Market has an incredible section of different mole flavours and was my favourite place to shop for these rich flavours of Mexico City.

Address: Ignacio Allende s/n, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Happening Store

Happening Store has two locations in Mexico City. They sell a variety of different goods made by local Mexican designers. They have everything from footwear, to jewellery to houseware and soaps. There is definitely a hipster quality to the products sold here but if you’re a fan of that kind of stuff then you’ll be in heaven! It’s always nice when visiting a city to try and support local, small business and shopping here you’ll find you’re able to explore a variety of designers right in one place!

Address: Tabasco 210, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Cafebrería El Péndulo

Cafebrería El Péndulo is a magical little place where you can explore all different literary fantasies. The bookshop was established in 1993, and as the name states, it is a combination of Cafeteria and Bookshop. On the first level is where you’ll find hundreds of shelves of books and on the second floor you can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a lazy, mid-morning brunch. There are six different locations across Mexico City, each with the same open and luminous architecture and eclectic decoration. If you can’t read Spanish it’s still worth browsing the store and seeing all the different amazing books, music and art on sale. I loved the selection of notebooks and journals from local artists with that same stunning Mexican colours and design which make this city so enchanting.

Address: Mario Pani 200, Lomas de Santa Fe, Contadero, Cuajimalpa de Morelos, 01219 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

There is truly something for everyone in this magical city! Let me know what your favourite places are to shop in Mexico City and hopefully I can add them to my list the next time I’m visiting this amazing place.

The post The Ultimate Souvenir Shopping Guide in Mexico City first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

An Insider’s Guide to Exploring Dresden’s Amazing Historic Green Vault

The Creative Adventurer — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 14:10:47 +0000

Upon arriving in Dresden, my first destination was the fabled Green Vault. The Green Vault or Grünes Gewölbe, is Europe’s largest collection of precious historical treasures. It was the first public museum in all of Europe to feature a collection of crown jewels from. Also included in this royal collection, are amazing prizes only imagined in pirate hordes. Bowls carved out of crystal, agate and ivory, golden figurines with multicoloured gems and the most impressive green diamond in the world. It’s truly a jewel box that visitors always walk away from in awe and wonder. It is truly one of the greatest museums in Germany and one you definitely have to visit on your next trip to Dresden!

Although you might expect the vault to be coloured green, the name comes from an altogether different reference. During its construction, the columns and bases that held up the vaulted ceiling inside were painted green. Hence the name the “Green Vault.” A German Emerald city.

Table Of Contents

History
Tickets
The Great Green Vault Robbery
The Vorgewölbe (Entrance Foyer)
The Bernsteinkabinett (Amber Cabinet)
The Elfenbeinzimmer (Ivory Room)
The Weißsilberzimmer (Silver Room or White Silver Room)
The Silbervergoldete Zimmer (Silver Gilt Room)
The Pretiosensaal (Pretiosa Room or Hall of Treasures)
The Wappenzimmer (Coats of Arms Room, Heraldry Room)
The Juwelenzimmer (Jewel Chamber)
The Bronzezimmer (Bronze Room)

History

Augustus the Strong was the ruler of Saxony and lived in Dresden in the 18th century. Augustus was a very wealthy man and adored his city. He spent time, money and effort to make Dresden the jewel of all Europe. The King wanted the best artists from all over the world to congregate there to live, work and create commissions for his kingdom.

old photo scan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, Dresden is not as well known as Florence or Berlin, but in the 18th century, it was referred to as the Venice of the Elbe. Augustus’ had some of the finest jewellers, metalworkers and artists working round the clock to create treasures that would rival any royal collection worldwide. But the treasurer’s served a practical purpose in addition to looking so beautiful. They were an expression of wealth and absolutist power to any visiting officials that spoke volumes of Dresden’s regime.

WWII

Dresden was very heavily bombed during WWII. But early warnings allowed the King’s men to hide the treasures in a fortress far away from the ruined city. Alas, this did not keep them safe forever. When the Red Army invaded, they stole the collection and brought it as a prize to Moscow and Kyiv. After years and years of negotiation, the pieces were returned to Dresden.

During the years of negotiation, the city of Dresden set about reconstructing the Green Vault. And in 2005, the collections and restored interiors were returned to the public. The baroque galleries and ornate displays have all been rebuilt in the same brilliant style. Today, you can walk through the rooms just as hundreds of people have done years before.

Tickets

The lineup for tickets to these galleries was intense. Only so many tickets are allotted per hour to limit the number of people they let inside. To ensure you get to visit, you can always buy your tickets online in advance. You can buy a single ticket to the Green Vault or a combined ticket to the Royal Palace that will also get you admission to the New Green Vault, Turkish Chamber, Renaissance Wing, Hall of the Giants, Royal State Apartments of August the Strong and the Porcelain Cabinet, Firearms Gallery and special exhibitions in the Kupferstich-Kabinett.

Prices: Green Vault Adults €14.00 | Combined Ticket €24.50

We arrived a little before our designated ticket time, so we enjoyed our coffee while perusing the large art bookstore inside the museum. This place was a dream; there were hundreds of art books, paper doll collections, postcards, jewellery pieces, and more. It was probably my favourite bookstore we visited on our entire trip. I could have just lived here.

The Great Green Vault Robbery

Another reason that they are so strict about limiting the numbers inside the green vault is due to the modern-day robbery that took place here in 2019. On November 25th, a collection of royal jewellery was stolen from the museum. Included in the heist was a 49-carat Dresden White Diamond, the diamond-laden breast star of the Polish Order of the White Eagle, which belonged to the King of Poland, a hat clasp with a 16-carat diamond, a diamond epaulette, and a diamond-studded hilt containing nine large and 770 smaller diamonds, along with a matching scabbard. Thankfully, the collection’s most significant treasure, the green diamond, was away on loan at the MET Gallery in New York.

The worth of stolen items was valued at over €1 billion! But it was the cultural significance that was truly priceless. The Green Vault closed its doors to the public after the theft. Thankfully, in 2022 thirty-one of the stolen items were recovered by the German authorities. Today, the museum plans to reopen in February 2023 to allow guests back inside to see the collection again.

The Vorgewölbe (Entrance Foyer)

Before entering the museum, you must enter a large waiting room, which features an introductory audio program. Also in this room are various pieces from the collection that aren’t currently displayed in the gallery. Also in this gallery are photos of the Green Vault taken before WWII. This gives you an idea of the extent of destruction and reconstruction required to bring this place back to life after the Dresden bombings.

Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Also included in the waiting area, are a collection of enamel works from Limoges and other ceramics that date back to the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

No Photo Policy

You are not allowed to take pictures inside the gallery. A policy which always pains me. But especially after the rubbery, they are so careful about the security of this precious museum. But in not allowing you to take photos, you are forced to truly immerse yourself without distraction into exploring the collection.

The Displays

When it was time to enter the gallery, you approached a set of glass doors with your ticket and were quickly given a once-over by security. Then you walk through a dust-proof double door which sucks out all the air from your entering before opening the second set of doors. This is because everything isn’t behind glass when you are in the gallery. The tiny pieces of the collection are displayed on gilt shelves, which hover like flying carpets against mirrored walls, just as the King once displayed them.

The Bernsteinkabinett (Amber Cabinet)

The first room you enter after exiting the spaceship-like dust-proof room is the Bernsteinkabinett or the Amber Cabinet room. The exhibit includes 16th-century vessels, bowls, ceremonial cutlery and statuettes produced in the amber workshops in Königsberg and Danzig. Amber art was thought to be the most luxurious of all the art forms, so it was no surprise that it found its way into royal chambers.

The King of Prussia gave many of the pieces to Augustus the Strong. Prussia was then famous for its skilled Amber sculptures. The small Amber Cabinet, the showpiece of this room, was one of those gifts. Its incredible handwork is astonishing. The tiny amber drawers with inlaid gold are fantastic. There is something about Amber’s art that is transfixing. It swirls and changes shape as the light reflects upon its glasslike surface.

The Elfenbeinzimmer (Ivory Room)

After the Amber room, you enter the Elfenbeinzimmer (the Ivory Room). Save for a few numbered plaques, this room almost doesn’t feel like a museum. It only feels like you’re walking through a beautiful house you’ve been invited into. The small groups allow the space not to feel overcrowded. Everyone respects the silence, and despite being a touristy place, it does feel relatively peaceful.

Atop all the shelves were a variety of small carved statues made from pure ivory. The ivory towers with impossibly tiny spirals inside are still one of the most amazing pieces of art and engineering. I cannot imagine how skilful and still those hands who made that must be. The bright white ivory is set against dark terracotta marble and a rich red and black tiled floor. Creating the most luxurious juxtaposition.

The Weißsilberzimmer (Silver Room or White Silver Room)

The next room is the Weißsilberzimmer (the White Silver Room). This room displays some of the finest examples of silver plates, flatware, buffets, oversized silver vessels and large pieces for dinner service from Augustus the Strong. This room is painted floor-to-ceiling emerald green and trimmed in gold to contrast the silver on display. The vaulted ceilings are bright white and accented with elaborate details.

These silver pieces are some of the best examples of silversmith artwork from the 17th and 18th centuries. You won’t see any pieces in here from the 19th century, as most silver from that era was melted down to fund the crown’s dwindling bank account. One of the most important treasures from this room is a solid gold drinking bowl from Ivan the Terrible. One of Augustus’ prized possessions.

Along one wall, are shelves are dedicated to the gold ruby glass of the royal palace. Its dark red colour pops against the green walls. The red colour was produced by adding gold chloride as it cooked. The ruby glass was frequently associated with magical powers. Coral was also thought to have magical properties and, as such, was incorporated into many silver gilt designs from the 17th-18th century.

The Silbervergoldete Zimmer (Silver Gilt Room)

As you pass through the Emerald green of the White Silver Room, you come upon the Silbervergoldete Zimmer (the Silver Gilt Room). In contrast to the previous one, this room is painted a deep vermillion. The mirrors in this room are smaller but formed into various baroque shapes. This room features gilded silver pieces, gold drinking vessels, and carved figurines. Most figurines feature Greek myths’ stories, but some also feature historical figures.

One of the most striking pieces in this room is a jewellery box made of gilded silver, mother of pearl and precious stones. It was a Christmas gift that Christian I gave his wife Sophie in 1585. Inside the lid of the box was once a tiny clock, but only fragments of the clock have been preserved. One can only imagine which precious jewels Sophie kept inside this box.

The Pretiosensaal (Pretiosa Room or Hall of Treasures)

As you enter the next room, you immediately notice that this is the largest of all the rooms. This is the Pretiosensaal (Hall of Treasures). This room reminded me greatly of the Chandelier Gallery in Versaille.

It was not as big as Versaille, perhaps, but even more opulent. Along each wall, from floor to ceiling, were gilded ostrich eggs, nautilus and sea snails set in silver, vessels made of coloured gems and ambers, microscopic portraits inlaid onto ornate cherry wood boxes and even rock crystal bowls decorated with Grecian heroines.

Precious Crystals

In the Middle ages, rock crystal was believed to have magical powers. I think you can see a theme emerging. The King wanted the finest things in his collection and anything that would perhaps imbue him with more power. Since crystals were thought to be pure, it was thought to symbolize God and the purity of the Virgin Mary.

But not everyone was on board with these thoughts. In fact, some found these jewels to be an affront to God. As nothing should be worshipped aside from God himself. Saxony was one of the wealthiest countries of the time, and they loved showing off their wealth anywhere they could. This resulted in the creation of some of these outlandish drinking vessels. There were glasses made from ostrich eggs and sea snail shells, goblets made of mother of pearl, and even coconuts inlaid with gemstones. These were considered the devil’s inventions and deplored by God in Heaven by many monks who served the King.

The Wappenzimmer (Coats of Arms Room, Heraldry Room)

The Wappenzimmer (the Heraldry Room) features copper and gilded coats of arms of the Saxon provinces, the Polish state coat of arms and the original plates of the House of Wettin electorates. This room serves as a nice break from the overwhelming decor of the previous rooms. Some of these coats of arms still bare the damage from the WWII bombings. And you can see the burnt metal’s edges almost peeling away. This an excellent example of how fire can burn through almost anything.

The Juwelenzimmer (Jewel Chamber)

Up next is the Juwelenzimmer (Jewel Chamber). Here are the crown jewels of the Saxon-Polish royalty. This was the room that was the target of the 2019 burglary. Behind solid glass are golden pendants, necklaces and rings, electoral swords and modern gem sets. The room looks like a bedazzled royal coat of arms. Blue and crimson walls are decorated with ornamental fields of mirrors and covered in gold engravings.

Dresden Green Diamond

In this room, the real crown jewel of the Green Vault can be viewed. It is the impossibly rare Dresden Green Diamond, a massive, naturally irradiated gem from India. The diamond is embedded in a statue called the “Moor with Emerald Cluster” or the “Jewel Garniture” and the “Obeliscus Augustalis.” It is a flawless hunk of green carbon, unfined and perfect. Augustus was obsessed with possessing rare and precious stones. He was so impressed with this gem that he didn’t want to ruin its natural state and therefore commissioned statuettes designed to carry the precious stone.

Sapphire Collection

One of my favourite pieces from the gem room is the Sapphire collection. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Sun King Louis XIV started a trend of making jewellery designed in a uniform style. This meant that buttons, buckles, weapons, snuff boxes, pocket watches, hat decorations and more all possessed reflected the same designs and detailing. This attire gave the impression of absolute uniformity throughout the monarchy and the royal family. For Augustus, he did so with his signature Dresden Sapphires.

The Bronzezimmer (Bronze Room)

The final room is the Raum der Renaissance bronzes (Room of Renaissance Bronzes). It features some large, bronze sculptures from the 17th century.

Dresden’s Green Vault offers a unique opportunity to explore one of the world’s most magnificent collections of treasures. From its stunning Baroque architecture to its sparkling jewels, intricate enamels, and precious goldsmith works, the Green Vault is a testament to the skill and artistry of the master craftsmen of centuries past. Whether you’re a history buff, a lover of fine art, or simply looking for an exceptional experience, a visit to the Green Vault is an absolute must! If you’ve visited before, let me know your favourite part of the collection.

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post An Insider’s Guide to Exploring Dresden’s Amazing Historic Green Vault first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.